Zine Reviews: Volume 8 (Portland Zine Symposium part 1)

The Antagonists made an appearance at the Portland Zine Symposium in mid-July. It was hotter than Hades, but Portlanders really love their zine culture, and we had an amazing time. Below is the first batch of zines that we walked away with, including stories about, or for, women.


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First Date
creator: Kilted Comics
contact: kiltedcomics.com

Choose your own adventure! Brian sat next to us the whole weekend, and we watched everyone come by his table and be so excited about this flipzine. This is aimed at women, picking out their first date outfit, and dealing with the consequences of said outfit (in a funny way, not tragic or anything, unless you count the possibility of a broken ankle). At a buck apiece, they flew off his table, and I can’t blame people, it’s super cute and a really creative way to give someone a quick laugh.


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Paris in the 20th Century
creators: Brian Gardes and Keri Grassl
contact: kiltedcomics.com

The Kilted Comics folks again. We got quite a few pieces from them, all of them awesome. This, and the following comic about Ana Dupre, are very femme-Indiana Jones-y, both taking place in the early 1900s, so put that image in your head right away. Paris the 20th Century is based around the true tale of Jules Verne’s book, of the same name, which was written in 1863 but not published for more than 130 years. This story imagines a factional account (or maybe factual, who knows?) of where that lost manuscript was during those decades. Danger! Excitement! Intrigue!


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Ana Dupre and the Eye of the Kraken, Part 1
creators: Brian Gardes and Keri Grassl
contact: kiltedcomics.com

This comic takes place before the story above, and is a more standard action/adventure. Woman receives a puzzling package indicating her father is in trouble and must fight against various nefarious men in order to solve the mystery and save her father. This is only the first part of this specific Ana Dupre adventure series, but the creators promise there is more to come!


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Constellation Revolutions
creator: Regina Schilling
contact: himynameisregina.com

The first thing I noticed and loved about this zine is that the creator made 16 different versions, meant to cover a wide range of skin colors and sizes, so you could pick the version catered specifically to who you are. The zine has a loose story, showing a woman (any woman) going about her day, and the thoughts and fears she might encounter while doing so. It reads like it is supposed to be a comfort blanket for the days you aren’t feeling too great. Great concept.


The Antagonists attend zine shows in the Pacific Northwest, and the greater New York City area. Please make sure to look for us and drop off your zine for review! Our next appearance will be at the Olympia Zine Fest, October 24th. Support independent art!

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